and what of the cowrie shell?

Reading One Day (and seeing the wonderful movie afterward) has inspired this outfit. I can see a few details reminiscent of that grunge era in my outfit (an era so brilliantly depicted in Nicholl's book), but I'm glad I have avoided any overload of it.

After my dad handed this shirt down to me I wore it constantly. Once I forgot to take a pin I was wearing off, though, and will forever be reminded of it by a small cruel rust spot above the right pocket. However, this always prompts me to cover it with some sort of pin or brooch, allowing me to become that much more accessorized. If only more articles of clothing elicited such help with accessorizing (without the sad rust spot) - it would be harder to just throw something on and head out the door (my usual routine).





I try to spend a few days out of every summer in the lovely peninsula of Door County. My childhood vacations there will always be brought to mind when I see a Dala Horse - a traditional Swedish icon. Some nights we would eat at a Swedish restaurant (the wait staff even wore traditional Swedish clothing - or costumes) and afterward tour the boutique adjoining it. When I was younger, my grandma gave me a beautiful sterling silver dala horse necklace from the boutique and ever since they have held a permanent place in my imagination. This particular necklace started out as an ornament purchased from the same boutique last fall. I added the chain it has become a go-to accessory.

Cowrie shells have always been mysterious and alluring to me. They were first brought to my attention in a book I read and reread as a child and ever since they have continued to spark my imagination and sense of adventure. They are also symbols of womanhood and fertility which is not surprising as their gorgeous underside resembles a vulva. I fashioned this ring with copper wire as it is said to stimulate mental energy. And it looks pretty.







dress, denim shirt, belt, brooch - vintage ; boots - H&M ; necklace, ring - DIY'd ; glasses - dollar store

little things

We love using our potted herbs to season our meals! ~ A tree, DIY'd with a random rock, copper wire, and moss agate stones.

This headpiece I fashioned (and wore here) out of shells and sea glass. ~ Gorgeous Sweet Peas from our local farmer's market.

We finally got around to putting up fairy lights in the bedroom - they are so beautiful! ~ We now have sweet and very lucid dreams, thanks to this authentic Navajo dream catcher.

DIY - paint swatch decorating

This may have been the easiest yet most rewarding DIY project that I have ever undertaken. We decided to cover our gross beige cabinets with paint samples. Paint sample decorating - so easy and so FREE! That was the best part. As long as you feel comfortable going into a hardware store and awkwardly swiping stacks and stacks of paint samples, you're all set. Actually, we did have to buy the tape (blue painter's tape - $3.50) that we used for the project, but that was because we didn't have any other tape in our apartment.

We used paint samples from three different hardware stores and painter's tape for easy an easy take-down when the time comes.



We had the brilliant idea (after the first two cupboards were already completed) to film some of the process. Here is a short video that shows the evolution of the final two. Also, the final outcome is a bit different for what you will see in the video - I decided I didn't like the last panel the way it came out the first time so I ended up changing it a bit - you'll see.

like an ice cube in the sink

I've been able to wear this dress from eShakti so many different ways. Below I've posted some of the different ways I've worn it before (you can click on the picture to see the whole post). I wanted to share it again because eShakti is offering a super promotion for all Fabulosity Factor readers. If you mention the code FABFACT0811 you can receive $20 dollars off your purchase at eshakti.com.













today's outfit: dress - courtesy of eShakti ; shirt - H&M ; hat, purse - vintage ; shoes - Charlotte Russe

just a glimpse of her green hat

This is one of my favorite outfits as of late because it makes me feel completely like myself. That is one of the best feelings an outfit can bring.



I purchased and recently received several gorgeous ear cuffs from Merry Meet Jewelry on Etsy. I am in love with the elegant designs and great prices. The ear cuffs this store offers are perfect for people like me who don't have pierced ears. Even though I wore my hair down today I wanted to wear one because they are beautiful and I might be a little obsessed.

The ring on the right was my first adventure into wire-crafting. The stone is rose quartz - a stone associated with the Heart Chakra and different forms of love.

dress - thrifted ; shirt - Target ; shoes - Famous Footwear ;
hat, bracelet - vintage ; purse - vintage Coach ; ear cuff - Merry Meet Jewelry ; ring - DIY'd

cherry cherry

The weather today was picnic perfect...so I decided to dress accordingly.

dress - thrifted ; shoes - Faded Glory ; glasses - dollar store ; hat - vintage

to shimmer like a mermaid's tail

Last night I fashioned this headpiece out of shells and sea glass. It reminded me of something a mermaid might wear, so to continue that theme I opted for a long flowing skirt, wooden necklace, and a pearly bracelet.

skirt - H&M ; blouse - thrifted ; jewelry - vintage ; sandals - Zoe & Zach ; headpiece - DIY'd

the petals keep falling...

Something I've discovered is that some hairstyles just need rolling out of bed to complete. Consider this one - just added a rose bloom and voila - done. No fussing, no touching up, just throw on an outfit and out you wander. The only thing is - recreating a bed-head look is pretty much out of the question.

I recently found this sweet dress on the sale racks at H&M for only $7. The detailing on the neckline and the shoulders are darling and the color will enable it to be worn for multiple seasons.

My bracelet was purchased from a vendor at a cultural festival. I think it's supposed to be part of a belly dancing costume - at least that's what most of the items in the booth were. The bracelet connects to a ring to be worn on the middle finger so the jingling coins cascade down the hand. It's quite an intriguing piece of jewelry even though it probably didn't come from any exotic land.











dress - H&M ; belt - thrifted ; shoes - Charlotte Russe ; bracelet - street vendor

the less he spoke the more he heard

Even though it seems like we'll never be "finished" with moving in and getting settled, there are some things I find pleasure in, amongst the chaos. For example, the most amazing owl mirror I picked up at a local antique store (and my homemade banner reflected in it). And, there is nothing more relaxing than a candle-lit bath (the bathroom continues to be the cleanest place in our apartment!).

This is the beginning of the "hat wall." We needed more storage space in the closet so I decided to put our hats out on display. Can you tell which one isn't mine? I have a collection of kitty things that I acquired during my childhood - most of them now reside on the top of my dresser.

Our bookshelf has migrated to the opposite wall, although I'm sure you can't tell from the photo. And lastly, gorgeous flowers from Red.